This is not the first time that SOAS language teaching has been recognised. In 2009, SOAS was awarded a prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education. The award honours the Faculty of Languages and Cultures for the excellence, breadth and depth of its teaching in the languages of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

According to the QS World University Rankings, SOAS also has the 9th highest percentage of international students in the world– recognising the lively and internationally diverse student and staff community which has been a hallmark of SOAS since its earliest days.

In Which? University – a new university comparison website launched this week – students rated SOAS 98 per cent for its political scene, first in the UK. SOAS students are known for their lively political involvement, and this remains an attractive feature for many potential students. Which? also highlighted that 94 per cent of SOAS graduates are in work or further study six months after graduating.

Director of SOAS, Professor Paul Webley, said:

“We are delighted to be recognised for the quality of our arts and humanities teaching and research. We offer a wide range of languages from Asia, Africa and Middle East which can be taken as single or joint subjects, alongside Law, Politics or Development, to name a few. Such choice has never been more relevant to students wanting to make a positive impact on today’s world, and to be ranked 5th in the UK for modern languages further demonstrates both the excellence of SOAS teaching and our approach.

“It comes as no surprise that we are among the top ten universities in the world for international students. SOAS creates a comfortable, challenging and diverse learning environment for everyone.”

SOAS also scored well in the Which? survey for creativity (67 per cent) a diverse local nightlife (80 per cent) and overall student satisfaction (86 per cent).

For more information on SOAS courses contact our student recruitment team on +44 (0)20 7898 4034 or study@soas.ac.uk